1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a fuel combuster, more particularly to a torch tip, and specifically to a hand held torch tip.
2. The Prior Art
Numerous attempts have been made to provide a torch tip which produces an even flame, which is easy to light, which will operate under any pressure, and which will not overheat.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,013,395 to WORMSER discloses a fuel combuster which uses a vortex generator as a flame holder which results in a swirling flame. In this type of device, a relatively slight drop in gas pressure will cause the tube of the torch tip to overheat, because the velocity of the gas is not adequate to keep burning gas from contacting the tube. Further, increasing gas pressure in a high pressure torch tip, such as disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,013,395, will narrow the flame to the point where it collapses and assumes an hourglass-like shape. A flame in such a shape has no utility for soldering or brazing because it loses heat concentration; the flame collapses, and will not effectively solder.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,510,060 to HOOVER et al. discloses a gas burner with a mixing tube. A wire screen is supported adjacent to the end of a mixing tube by means of a cross bar. The wire screen is disclosed as serving to assist the breaking up of the air and gases are passed out of the tube, and ignition of the mixture is further disclosed to take place upon the wire screen.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,945,902 to JOHNSON discloses a burner having a combustion chamber formed with a circular aperture through which a burner tube is inserted. The aperture is provided with notches which edge the ignition area of the upper ignition into the burner tube. These apertures provide air inlet openings to the combustion chamber. A plurality of perforated baffle plates are located on the upper end of the burner tube, and are laid flat on top of each other in a closely adjacent relationship. These baffle plates comprise circular discs of twelve mesh fine iron wire cloth or other similar material, to preheat the premixed air and gas. The air and gas passes to an uppermost screen and is ignited therein.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,752,644 to ARNAL discloses a hot air generator using a gaseous fuel. The mixture of primary air and gaseous fuel is drawn into the interior of the mixing tube by the centrifugal fan formed by a number of radial fins. This mixture is discharged into the interior of the combustion chamber, and is ignited by a pilot flame such that the flame is initiated on contact with a grid. The products of combustion are mixed with air pulsated by the fan, following which the mixture of hot air thus obtained is carried into the space to be heated.
U.S. Pat. No. 396,260 to BELL discloses an incandescent gas burner having a burner tube, which supports a wire-gauze diaphragm and a burner-tip. A deflector receives and protects the skirt of the mantle.
U.S. Pat. No. 629,296 to JOHNSON discloses a gas burner wherein gas travels through a number of conduits and through a seat. A ring of wire-gauze is arranged within the seat. The gas issues from a number of perforations and is ignited to form an annular belt of flame.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,015,851 to STORRS discloses a burner for incandescent mantles. The burner comprises a bunsen tube, a burner tip, a mantle and gauze. The gauze is of a curved shape and is provided with an upturned rim. The upturned rim and lower edge of the gauze lie within an annular chamber, the lower edge resting on the top of the tip and the upper edge resting in engagement with the annular shoulder. The gauze is disclosed as preventing back firing without impeding the passage of the gas/air mixture to the burner.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,058,702 to TAIT discloses a test-burner which includes a wire gauze disc held in position by an upper section and a lower section. The chamber of the lower section and the chamber of the upper section form a fuel expansion chamber across which gauze extends so that the gas from the pipe expands in the expansion chamber and passes through the gauze. Gas passes through the chamber of the upper section to the upper end of the chamber to the lower section and out of an opening. The gas burns in a full, regular jet which projects from the opening, and extends back into the chamber of the lower section to a greater or lesser extent determined by the volume and pressure of the gas. The gauze is disclosed as a flame barrier which prevents back lashing, and a barrier for solid particles in the gas.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,531,015 to THOMPSON discloses an internal ring brazing burner having a number of gas jets staggered around an annular flange in such a manner that if a sheet of flame is directed toward the center of the burner but tangent to a circle inside the periphery of the burner. A screen is inserted into an inner shell to prevent backfiring during operation of the burner. The screen is not near the flame and has no function which pertains to flame holding.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,564,371 to PARSBERG discloses a burner for giving flashing light. The burner includes a flange, in which a conical base for a grill mantle rests. A screen is situated below a flame deflector, and there is no indication that this screen can serve any function pertaining to flame holding.
The WORMSER patent operates on swirl principles. The conventional swirl-type torch tips include a number of disadvantages. One of these disadvantages is that these types of torch tips easily overheat, due to even relatively slight drops in gas pressure. Another disadvantage is that an increase in the gas pressure will narrow the flame to the point where it collapses and assumes an hourglass-like shape.
The prior art linear principle devices have the disadvantage that they are typically extremely hard to light.
Standard high velocity torch tips, (e.g. those intended to operate with a high gas pressure) are subject to a further disadvantage. When the device is operated below a certain pressure or velocity, the standard tubes overheat. They turn red hot because the velocity is not adequate to keep the burning gas from contacting the tube.
None of the prior art devices provides a torch tip which is easy to light, will not overheat, and will operate over a wide pressure range.